Office on Aging Annual Report 2020-2021

LARIMER COUNTY

Office on Aging ANNUAL REPORT

S TAT E F I S C A L Y E A R 2 0 2 0 - 2 0 2 1

Your Area Agency on Aging (AAA) at Work!

From the Director’s Desk

Mission Statement

Dear Valued Community Members,

The Larimer County Office on Aging advocates, plans, coordinates and delivers services for older adults, adults living with disabilities, and caregivers so they may experience their highest quality of life characterized by empowerment, dignity, health and independence.

Thank you for your continued support of the Larimer County Office on Aging. As the pandemic has continued over the past year, our team has learned new techniques for providing support and care, continued to adapt to the current climate, and continued to serve our community in a variety of meaningful ways.

In this annual report, you will learn more about the vital services that our mighty staff of 14 and robust network of providers extends to Larimer County’s aging community. The relationship between our staff, our Advisory Council, and our community has grown stronger over the past year, and we look forward to an even stronger relationship as we move into the new normal way of life. We are continuing to advocate and innovate in our service areas and through our programming as you will see in these pages.

If any of the topics or levels of support mentioned in this Annual Report interest you, I encourage you to learn more by visiting our website, larimer.org/seniors, or by calling (970) 498-7750.

Katie Stieber

LCOA Staff SHILO CHRISTIANSEN TINA CORRIGAN-HUGO DANI DEPAS AMBER FRANZEL SUZANNA HETCHLER NICOLE LIMOGES JENNIFER LYNN

SFY 2020–2021 Advisory Council Members JAY ADAMS CRYSTAL BLOEMEN ROYCE BOEHRS ELAINE BONI DAVID BORN JILL COUCH SHARON COURTNEY MYLES CRANE FERRI ERICKSON JOE GLOMBOSKI

Office on Aging Program Manager

LARIMER COUNTY

Office on Aging 1501 Blue Spruce Drive Fort Collins, CO 80524 (970) 498-7750

LOCA.NetworkofCare.org • Larimer.org/seniors

CAROLINA QUINONEZ ELIZA PIESMAN WENDY SCHLEPPY CAROL SEEST MARK SLEETER KATIE STIEBER TORI WIMMER

KIRSTEN HARTMAN LISA HAYS ALEXIS LAHAIE MARGARET LONG DANITA NIXON ELLEN PIHLSTROM JODY SHADDUCK-MCNALLY PUNKIE WHITELY KRISTY WYGMANS SHARON ZAMORA

Participants are not charged for these services, but are encouraged to donate to the programs they use.

Funding REVENUE

$3,051,610 Federal and State Grant Funding $70,484 Larimer County Funding (match for main grant, Rural SrCenters) $34,610 Other Grant Funding (MIPPA, CCT, ADRC COVID

$3,156,704 TOTAL

EXPENSES

$1,841,775 Direct Services $307,770 Administration $558,561 Internal Supportive Services • Application Assistance • Colorado Choice Transitions • No Wrong Door • Case Management and Options Counseling • Family Caregiver Support Program • Information and Assistance Outreach $264,191 Ombudsman and Elder Rights $137,951 Program Development & Coordination and Advocacy $34,610 Other Grant Funding • (MIPPA, CCT, ADRC COVID, Rural Sr Centers)

$3,144,858 TOTAL

Participants are not charged for these services, but are encouraged to donate to the programs they use.

Donations go back into the program to expand services.

The donations received by our internal LCOA programs was $1,388 while our funded community partners received $138,447 for a total of $139,835.

LCOA Internal Programs Aging and Disability Resources for Colorado (ADRC) The Aging and Disability Resources for Colorado (ADRC) is a trusted source of information for older adults, persons living with a disability and caregivers to obtain assistance in planning for their future long-term service and support needs. The ADRC is designed to empower older adults and persons living with a disability to make informed choices about their services and supports. Staff at the ADRC provide objective information and assistance to help people access private or publicly funded programs.

INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE SERVICES

APPLICATION ASSISTANCE

Emails and phone calls requesting assistance: phone: 5,672 total, on average 472 per month

Individuals received hands on assistance in completing a Long Term Care Medicaid or Medicare Savings Program Application: 53 clients

Visits made to Network of Care website (lcoa.networkofcare.org): 105,538, on average

8,794 per month

OPTIONS COUNSELING 141 individuals received one-on-one

DENTAL VOUCHER PROGRAM 63 individuals received $50,000 financial support for dental/oral health services to make the Dental

decision-making assistance to access and navigate long-term services and supports

Voucher Program possible, the LCOA partnered with the Health District of Northern Larimer County to provide dental care services to older adults

CHORE VOUCHER PROGRAM 112 individuals received a chore voucher

IN-HOME SERVICES VOUCHER PROGRAM 157 individuals received 8,812 hours

providing financial support with chores around the home that they were unable to perform equaling a total of $37,913

of homemaker and personal care services. To make the In-Home Services Voucher Program possible, the LCOA partnered with the following agencies to provide homemaker and personal care services to older adults: A Little R&R, Firstlight Home Care, Homewatch Caregivers, InnovAge Home Care North, Right at Home, Senior Helpers, and Seniors Helping Seniors

Staff at the ADRC provide objective information and assistance to help people access private or publicly funded programs.

Family Caregiver Support Program Family Caregivers are the backbone of our long-term care system and many of them find themselves providing care 24 hours a day/7 days a week. The goal of the Caregiver Support Program is to lessen the strain experienced by family caregivers by providing consultations, respite assistance, and connection to support groups, counseling, and classes.

CAREGIVER INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE (EMAIL AND PHONE) 250 clients were provided information

CAREGIVER CONSULTATIONS 124 caregivers received 179 individual

RESPITE VOUCHER 110 caregivers received 7,588 hours

EVIDENCE-BASED CAREGIVER CLASSES 35 caregivers participated in the evidence-based

of respite support

caregiver consult sessions

classes Powerful Tools for Caregivers and Stress-Busting Program for Family Caregivers

Ombudsman Program The Ombudsman Program protects the rights of individuals living in nursing and assisted living homes. Larimer County has 3 full-time paid Ombudsmen and 2 volunteers who serve residents in 50 different long-term care communities.

2,904 individual beds protected by the Ombudsman Program

Cases opened: 796

Complaints investigated: 1,454

Visits made to LTC homes: 137 (Ombudsman were restricted from going into buildings until halfway through the state fiscal year.)

1,652 consultations with facilities and 568 consultations with residents

Provided 18 sessions of community training and 2 sessions of facility training One of the Office on Aging’s successful events in this challenging year was the Caregiver Forum held in April. It was particularly challenging because it had to be presented virtually. Office on Aging staff were fantastic teaming with the Advisory Council’s Public Policy & Education committee members in planning and presenting the forum. The key note speaker, Jane Barton was excellent. As were the leaders of the break-out sessions. There were 108 registrants for the forum. 56 people attended live. The event link was provided so people could attend at a later date, and 31 registrants have done that. I personally know people who attended from out of state. So the impact of the excellent information reached beyond the borders of Colorado.

Feedback from forum participants, the Office on Aging Advisory Council and the presenters has been very positive. I believe the forum was absolutely beneficial to all who attended. The ideas, advice and information shared was outstanding. I appreciate everyone whose effort made the forum possible. ROYCE BOYERS

Funded Community Partners The LCOA funds services through a network of partner agencies. More than $1 million dollars was awarded to or spent on programs and services in partnership with the following community organizations: A Little R and R Home Care

Heart & Soul Paratransit

Senior Helpers

Aging Clinic Of the Rockies (ACOR)

Homewatch Caregivers, Inc.

Berthoud Area Transportation Services (BATS)

Innovage Home Care North

Senior Helping Seniors of Northern Colorado

Colorado Legal Services (CLS) Elderhaus Adult Day Program, Inc.

Namaqua Center (Summit Stone Health Partners)

Ensight Skills Center

Right At Home

VIA Mobility Services

Estes Park Health Home Care

Rural Alternatives for Transportation (RAFT)

Wellington Senior Resource Center

FirstLight Home Care Health District of Northern Larimer County

Meals on Wheels of Loveland Berthoud

UCHealth Aspen Club UCHealth Northern Colorado Foundation & PVHS Volunteers of America

Senior Alternatives for Transportation (SAINT)

Grant Funded Community Programs ADULT DAY SERVICES 6 individuals received 331 hours of

VISUALLY IMPAIRED SERVICES 138 individuals received assessments,

IN-HOME SERVICES IN ESTES PARK 9 individuals received 470 hours of

LEGAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES 323 individuals received 533 hours

NUTRITION SERVICES 928 individuals received 81,358 home delivered meals 311 individuals received 13,213 congregate/grab-n-go meals

TRANSPORTATION SERVICES 972 individuals received 24,311 rides

supervised personal care, group engagement, and more through adult day programs

homemaker and personal care services

screenings, assistive aids, training, and/or education to assist with low vision adaptations

of legal assistance

CAREGIVER SERVICES 61 caregivers received 725 sessions of counseling 41 caregivers received 1,015 hours of respite 48 grandparents received 367 sessions of grandfamily support services